Invest in Angus

The 2025 playbook: this year's key business trends
2025-01-22 12:30 - 13:30 UTC
From advancements in AI to shifts in social media, customer behaviour and attracting talent, this session will provide actionable insights to keep you ahead of the curve. Our expert panel, hosted by Hugh Lightbody, will share their predictions, case studies, and strategies for leveraging these trends to drive growth and ensure you can stay competitive in an ever-changing landscape.
This session will cover:

The significant trends shaping the business landscape in 2025
How businesses can adapt to the rapid pace of change in technology and market demands
Effective strategies to help small businesses remain resilient during uncertain times
How consumer preferences and behaviours will evolve this year
The role of digital transformation in helping businesses stay competitive
How businesses can train and bring in new talent

Panellists include:

Hugh Lightbody (Host), Chief Officer, Business Gateway National Unit
Genevieve White, Business Gateway Adviser & Founder of Campion Comms
Sean McGrath, CEO, Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation
Gary Ennis, Founder, Managing Director & Senior Consultant, NSDesign Ltd

Ready, Steady, Grow: How to Expand Your Business
2025-01-22 18:00 - 20:00
Ready to accelerate your business growth but unsure where to begin?
Look no further than our Ready Steady Grow workshop focused on accelerating business growth. Led by experienced business advisers, this session is designed to help you identify your growth potential and create a roadmap for success.
Through collaborative discussions with like-minded businesses, you’ll gain new insights, tools and knowledge to help support your growth plans. You’ll also walk away with a network of fellow business owners to connect with for ongoing support.
Don’t miss this opportunity to take your business to new heights!

EOI - Scaling Internationally with Amazon & Other Global Marketplaces
2025-01-23 10:00 - 16:00
If you’re an established company looking to scale internationally, this flexible accelerator programme is for you.
With a primary focus on maximising success on Amazon, you’ll also explore other key online marketplaces including eBay and Etsy, as well as specialised wholesale online marketplaces like Alibaba, Wayfair, Faire and more.
The programme will provide you with actionable strategies to expand your reach, optimise marketplace performance, and grow sales globally.
You’ll also benefit from a bespoke action plan and personalised 1-2-1 support to create your custom international growth strategy.
Programme Format:
This online programme will start on Wednesday 22 Jan 2025 with an in-person event.
The learning modules will then be released online, and followed with bi-weekly Teams catch ups.
The programme will end on Wednesday 23 Apr 2025 with a final in-person event.

Understanding Co-ops for Creative Industry Businesses
2025-01-24 09:30 - 12:30 | Civic House, 26 Civic Street, Glasgow, G4 9RH
Are you thinking of starting a new creative business? Or looking for a different approach to your existing business or community venture? Have you considered a co-op?
If you’re looking for an inclusive, democratic approach to your business, then a co-op could be the perfect fit.
Our free event, Understanding Co-ops, is brought to you by Co-operative Development Scotland, one of Scottish Enterprise’s services, and explores how your business can thrive as a co-operative.
Why co-ops?
All kinds of businesses operate as co-ops. These include pubs, energy suppliers, taxi firms, bookstores, community gardens, wine sellers, farms, sports clubs, and much more.
Co-ops are run by their members. They can be customers, employees, residents, or suppliers. They have a say in how the co-op is run – this makes it a fairer, more collaborative, and democratic way of doing business.
Co-ops are also resilient as a business model. They are more than twice as likely to survive the early years of trading when compared to other start-up businesses.
What to expect
The workshop will be led by a co-op specialist from Co-operate Scotland LLP and will feature guests from local creative industry co-ops:

Hen Hoose
Glasgow Theatre Arts Collective

Our guests will share their experiences of starting and running a co-op.
This informative and interactive workshop will give you a more in-depth understanding of co-operatives, as well as the initial steps required to start one. You’ll discover:

The different kinds of co-ops and learn which type might suit you best
What membership means
The strengths of co-ops versus traditional business models
Co-op values and principles
Co-op facts and figures
The different legal forms a co-op can take
Support for co-ops from Co-operative Development Scotland

Business Support – Drop In Sessions (Kirriemuir Library)
2025-01-27 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-24 13:00 - 16:00 | Kirriemuir Library, 28 Reform Street, Kirriemuir, DD8 4BS
The Business Gateway team will be at Kirriemuir Library to offer expert advice and support for all your business questions.
Drop in and speak to us, or use the book now button and a member of the team will be in touch to book an appointment.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow business, our advisers are here for you every step of the way.

How to build your brand
2025-01-31 10:00 - 12:00
This webinar will define what a brand is (and is not) and explain how it is more than just creating a logo. We will explore how a business can use their brand to show its identity, purpose, personality, message, and values in order to stand out from competitors, build a loyal customer base and make more sales.
This session will:

Provide you with a clear understanding of the difference between brands and branding
Help you understand what a brand is
Show you why branding is important
Look at your brand strategy, brand identity and action
Help you learn how to develop your brand’s positioning, character, and purpose to differentiate your business from its competitors
Demonstrate how to set up a brand kit and style guide to ensure consistency across websites, social media, business cards, posters etc.
Teach you how to create simple promotional graphics using a variety of tools including Canva
Highlight a variety of free tools including Google Drive, Hubspot and Mailchimp that can save time and simplify marketing tasks

Business Support – Drop In Sessions (Monifieth Library)
2025-02-10 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-10 13:00 - 16:00 | Monifieth Library, 48 High Street, Monifieth, DD5 4AE
The Business Gateway team will be at Monifieth Library to offer expert advice and support for all your business questions.
Drop in and speak to us, or use the book now button and a member of the team will be in touch to book an appointment.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow business, our advisers are here for you every step of the way.

An introduction to business strategy
2025-02-11 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-03-07 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-04-08 10:00 - 12:00
This webinar is practical, outcome driven, and designed to fit with the needs of small businesses in both B2C and B2B environments. It will help you develop a strategically led approach that can turbo charge business growth, identify the core growth strategy(ies) that are right for your business, and develop an action plan.
We will look at:

Your business today – identifying your strengths and areas for development
The key pillars of a business and why balancing all areas is essential for success
Personal and business ambitions and using these to guide strategy development
Ansoff’s Matrix as a tool for identifying core growth strategies
The core components of your business delivery
How to develop a methodical, strategic approach to developing your business for future success

After the webinar, you will understand:

How to undertake a balanced review of where your business is that helps identify areas for development
Ansoff’s Matrix and how to use it as a core strategic planning tool
How to create a strategic plan for growing your business

Selling Your Business Masterclass
2025-02-13 10:00 - 12:00
Have you considered a succession plan for your business? It’s never too early to start thinking about your options. Employee ownership is quickly becoming the preferred exit route for business owners.
Aimed at business owners who are considering an exit from their company, this session will give attendees the opportunity to hear from engineering design consultancy, MHB Consultants and Esteem Training. Speakers from the company will explain considerations they undertook when choosing employee ownership and how things have worked out as a result.
Andrew Harrison from Co-ownership Solutions will talk through all ownership succession options before focussing on employee ownership and how to ensure the employee buyout is a smooth process.

An introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for small businesses
2025-02-13 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-04-03 10:00 - 12:00
You’ve heard of Artificial Intelligence, but do you know how it can help you as you run your business? This practical webinar will explore how AI can help improve your business marketing to be more efficient and cost-effective, through the automatic creation of content for all your digital platforms; as well as helping you better understand your customers and business opportunities.
This webinar will cover:

What is Artificial Intelligence
Current AI tools and systems to use right now (including ChatGPT and MidJourney)
Automating digital content for blogs and social media
Using AI for business strategy and customer profiling
The pros and cons of AI for small businesses

This webinar will help you understand how you can integrate AI into your existing marketing, looking at the potential consequences (good and bad) of Artificial Intelligence, and its impact on small businesses and their customers.

A step-by-step guide to building your business plan
2025-02-17 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-02-25 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-19 10:00 - 12:00
New and established businesses will require a business plan for getting a loan, grant or just to consider the direction they wish to go in. This webinar will teach you what you need to include and how. We will walk you through what should be included within a business plan, how a business plan is used to improve your prospects for a loan or a grant, and how you can develop a business plan to meet your needs.
We will:

Provide a structure for a business plan
Review each section of what should be included within the business plan
Explain when and how to use a business plan
Explore the connections (and importance) between the words and the numbers
Look at how to identify and manage cashflow within the business planning process

Business Support – Drop In Sessions (Carnoustie Library)
2025-02-17 13:00 - 16:00 | Carnoustie Library, 21 High Street, Carnoustie, DD7 6AN
The Business Gateway team will be at Carnoustie Library to offer expert advice and support for all your business questions.
Drop in and speak to us, or use the book now button and a member of the team will be in touch to book an appointment.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow business, our advisers are here for you every step of the way.

The Employee Ownership Transition: A Deep Dive
2025-02-20 10:00 - 12:30
Are you considering employee ownership as a succession plan for your business? Join us on our deep dive into the process of selling to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
Aimed at business owners considering employee ownership as a succession option, this interactive online workshop will cover topics that are fundamental to every employee ownership transition.
The workshop will include a presentation and a breakout session.
The presentation will cover:

How a transaction or sale of shares to an EOT works
Valuation, purchase price and repayments
Seller protections and the role of the exiting owners
Governance structure of the business post transition
The role of the board and the trust and their relationship with each other
Employee engagement and employee incentives (bonuses and share schemes)

The breakout sessions will be on:

The transition process and legal implementation – led by Louise Fisher, Baxendale Employee Ownership
The importance of employee engagement – led by Hannah Welch, Baxendale Employee Ownership

Understanding co-ops
2025-02-26 10:00 - 12:00
Thinking of starting a business? Or looking for a different approach to your existing business or community venture? If you’re looking for an inclusive, democratic approach to your business, then a co-op could be a perfect fit.
Completely free to attend, this online workshop explores how your business could thrive as a co-operative. It’s brought to you by Co-operative Development Scotland, part of Scottish Enterprise.
Why co-ops?
All kinds of businesses operate as co-ops – pubs, energy suppliers, taxi firms, bookstores, community gardens, wine sellers, farms, sports clubs, and much more.
They are run by their members, who can be customers, employees, residents, or suppliers, and who have a say in how the co-op is run – making it a fairer, more collaborative and democratic way of doing business.
Co-ops are also resilient as a business model. They are more than twice as likely to survive the early years of trading when compared to other start-up businesses.
What to expect
This informative and interactive workshop will give you a more in-depth understanding of co-operatives, as well as the next steps for starting one. You’ll discover:

The different kinds of co-ops and which might suit you best
What membership means
The strengths of co-ops versus traditional business models
Co-op values and principles
Co-op facts and figures
The different legal forms a co-op can take
Support for co-ops from Co-operative Development Scotland

The workshop will be led by a co-op specialist from Co-operate Scotland LLP and will feature guests from local co-ops. Our guests will share their experiences of starting and running a co-op.

Business Support – Drop In Sessions (Brechin Library)
2025-03-03 13:00 - 16:00 | Brechin Library, 10 St. Ninians Square, Brechin, DD9 7AD
The Business Gateway team will be at Brechin Library to offer expert advice and support for all your business questions.
Drop in and speak to us, or use the book now button and a member of the team will be in touch to book an appointment.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow business, our advisers are here for you every step of the way.

Profitable Pricing for Sustainable Growth
2025-03-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Arbroath Signal Tower Museum, Ladyloan, Arbroath, DD11 1PU
Discover the key to sustainable business growth with our essential pricing workshop, created to help you set the right price for your products and services.
In this workshop, you’ll learn proven strategies to price for profit, ensuring your business thrives without compromising its value. We’ll explore the psychology behind pricing, cost structures, and market positioning to help you identify the optimal price point that drives profitability and customer appeal.
Whether you’re a small business owner or a solopreneur, this workshop will provide you with the tools to confidently price your offerings, boost margins, and maximise your earning potential.
What we’ll cover:

Understanding the cost and value factors that drive profitable pricing.
Techniques to evaluate and adjust your pricing strategy.
How to communicate your pricing effectively to clients.
Setting prices that align with your business goals and customer expectations.

By the end of this workshop, you’ll have a clear, actionable pricing strategy that sets your business up for long-term success.

How to generate and increase sales
2025-03-18 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-04-15 10:00 - 12:00
Sales are the lifeblood of every business. This webinar focuses on a pragmatic approach to sales strategy and delivery and is designed to fit with the needs of small businesses in both B2C and B2B environments.
We will cover:

Why a clear understanding of what an ideal customer looks like, and a good understanding of their problems, needs and wants is key to sales success
How to develop your sales platform using digital tools, platforms, and techniques
The different motivations potential customers may have and how to identify which ‘buttons’ your business needs to press
The key phases in prospecting, qualifying, and converting sales prospects
The value of a ‘sales funnel’ and how it can be used to help plan and achieve sales
Why keeping the customers you already have is the best sales strategy of all
The importance of appropriate customer service in retaining customers

Selling Your Business Masterclass
2025-03-20 10:00 - 12:00
Have you considered a succession plan for your business? It’s never too early to start thinking about your options. Employee ownership is fast becoming the preferred exit route for business owners.
Aimed at business owners considering an exit from their company, this session will give attendees the opportunity to hear specialist hydrocarbon accounting consultancy Accord Energy Solutions explain what they considered in choosing employee ownership and how things have worked.
Louise Fisher from Baxendale EO will talk through all ownership succession options before focussing on employee ownership and how to ensure the employee buyout is a smooth process.

The Smart Way to Build and Protect Your Brand
2025-03-20 11:30 - 13:00
Join us for an interactive session led by GrowBiz Enterprise Facilitator Becca Flory, who is a serial entrepreneur and lawyer.
Using case studies, Becca will share ‘dos and don’ts’ as well as practical tips on how to help you run your business safely and confidently—without the legal jargon!
You’ll leave with clear, actionable steps to protect and grow your business. In this session, Becca will cover:

GDPR made simple: Learn how to responsibly capture customer details for email marketing and build lasting customer relationships.
Clear agreements: Discover how to create service agreements for suppliers and customers to ensure smooth working relationships and avoid misunderstandings.
Protect your brand: Understand how to safeguard your creative work so others can’t copy you.
Effective terms and conditions: Craft T&Cs that truly serve your business goals.

These topics often feel intimidating, but Becca will show you how easy it can be. With her guidance, you’ll gain the clarity and confidence to focus on growing your business.

Delivering profit to drive growth
2025-03-26 10:00 - 12:00
The course covers financial analysis, strategic decision-making, resource allocation, and the role of innovation and scalability in leveraging profit for long-term success.
We will cover:

Getting to know your financials
Controlling growth
Improving decision making
Opportunities
Cash is king
Controlling change
Pricing strategies for maximum profit
Measuring profit

Ready, Steady, Grow: How to Expand Your Business
2025-03-27 10:00 - 12:00
Ready to accelerate your business growth but unsure where to begin?
Look no further than our Ready Steady Grow workshop focused on accelerating business growth. Led by experienced business advisers, this session is designed to help you identify your growth potential and create a roadmap for success.
Through collaborative discussions with like-minded businesses, you’ll gain new insights, tools and knowledge to help support your growth plans. You’ll also walk away with a network of fellow business owners to connect with for ongoing support.

The Employee Ownership Transition: A Deep Dive
2025-03-27 10:00 - 12:30
Are you considering employee ownership as a succession plan for your business? Take a deep dive into the process of selling to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT)?
Aimed at business owners considering employee ownership as a succession option, this interactive online workshop will cover topics that are fundamental to every employee ownership transition.
